By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Well, it’s that time of the year again.
Eurohoops presents the Top 100 EuroLeague Players ahead of the 2018-2019 season. A list of players compiled with some specific criteria with the purpose of tracing and ranking those hoopers that are expected to define the upcoming EuroLeague season.
While there are some objective and factual elements that were taken into consideration when choosing the 100 players and then ranking them, the final result is, inevitably, subjective.
As always, there was a calculated risk with rookies, especially those who are completely unfamiliar with European basketball. Hence why some players who will now take their first steps in EuroLeague have been omitted from the list or where placed in lower positions in comparison with other players, or even EL rookies that have a considerable experience at a competitive level of European basketball. Experience in this level and type of game matters since we’ve seen no few quality players, even established NBAers, immensely struggle in their new surroundings simply because of their unfamiliarity with everything that European basketball encompasses.
What should be noted is that a player of a team that is a title or Final Four contender automatically got a relative priority over another with possibly similar or equal, maybe even superior individual strengths. This is why you will find that there is an increased number of players from well-known powerhouses. Of course, there’s also the fact that these teams usually sign a lot of top talent.
It goes without saying that injuries also played a part in picking and ranking the players.
Like every year, the Eurohoops Top 100 Players ranking is based on the following criteria (in this order):
1) The individual quality of each player in combination with the role and playing time we anticipate he will get with his team.
2) The strength of the club he plays for. The players of the teams that are usually playoff staples and are considered among the title contenders always have the edge because they combine individual quality with their club’s high aspirations.
3) What each player has achieved in his career in the EuroLeague, combined with the prospect he carries for the 2018-19 season.
The countdown continues with the spots from 40-31. Here are the 50-41, 60 – 51, 70 – 61, 80 – 71, 90 – 81, plus the 100 to 91 picks.
40. Vincent Poirier (Baskonia)
Year of birth: 1993
Position: Center
Height: 2.13 m.
2017-2018 stats: 8.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists in 17:25 minutes per game with Baskonia in EuroLeague.
Once he adapted to EuroLeague basketball and the game of Baskonia, Vincent Poirier began outplaying even well-known seasoned centers and in the process have some MVP (literally) performances.
By finishing pick n’ roll plays with brute force, win one skirmish at the low post after the other and protecting the paint, Poirier became the “pillar” that Baskonia needed and a big who greatly compliments Johannes Voigtmann (a different, floor-stretching big). Poirier is an overall dominant presence in the restricted area, getting his kicks from blocking shots, sometimes in a sequence, but also rushing to the basket to collect offensive rebounds and throw down putback dunks.
It’s not just raw strength for Poirier since he carries a solid perception of the fundamental of his position. Considering the fact that he’s 25 years old, his upside is grand, hence his position in our list.
39. Brandon Davies (Zalgiris Kaunas)
Year of birth: 1991
Position: 2.09
Height: Center
2017-2018 stats: 9.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.9 assists in 17:25 minutes per game with Zalgiris Kaunas in EuroLeague.
Last season Zalgiris Kaunas pulled off one of the biggest upsets in EuroLeague playoff history by eliminating Olympiacos 3-1 to reach the Final Four for the first time since 1999. And one of the main characters behind the team’s success was Brandon Davies.
The American center had his fair share of offensive ups and downs for most of the regular season in his debut EuroLeague campaign but he was always a key player in Sarunas Jasikevicius’ defensive plans. It wasn’t until the quarterfinals vs. Olympiacos that he skyrocketed his game on both ends to All-EuroLeague level standards. Davies absolutely dominated every bit of the court and sometimes looked like he was single handily pounding the whole frontline of the Reds in any way he fancied.
Thanks to his performances he rightfully won the EuroLeague April MVP award and truly there’s wasn’t a player from any 2018 Final Four team that had this kind of two-way impact in the quarterfinals. And no other underdog that prevailed over a powerhouse.
So far Davies is leading Zalgiris Kaunas in points (12.8) and PIR (17) in the 2017-2019 Lithuanian League despite playing only 17 minutes per game. Who’s to say he won’t emerge as the main contributor, or even a leader in EuroLeague as well?
38. Janis Strelnieks (Olympiacos)
Year of birth: 1989
Position: Guard
Height: 1.91
2017-2018 stats: 7.5 points, 2.1 assists, 1.3 rebounds in 19:53 minutes per game with Olympiacos in EuroLeague.
All the pieces are set for Janis Strelnieks to improve every facet of his performance in the upcoming season. He just needs to step up.
Strelnieks is expected to have a different role under David Blatt in comparison with the previous season. One that will allow him to spent most of his minutes as a point guard and the primary facilitator for his team in the revamped offense of Olympiacos. It’s the position and role he prefers and also the one in which he thrived the most in his first year with the Reds. The Latvian guard had a streak of solid to even brilliant performances early but went in decline afterward and ultimately wasn’t much of a factor for his team.
Since he’s proven that he can excel mostly as playmaker, with the ball in his hands and not as a plain weak-side threat (that’s just misusing his talents) even though he’s an excellent shooter, Strelnieks should have all the room to let his quality flow for Olympiacos, pump up his numbers and become instrumental in helping his team reach its goals.
37. Othello Hunter (CSKA Moscow)
Year of birth: 1986
Position: Center
Height: 2.03 m.
2017-2018 stats: 8.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals in 19.8 minutes per game with CSKA Moscow in EuroLeague
Not only does Othello Hunter come from a season that marked an improvement compared to his 2016-2017 run with Real Madrid but he also notched his top playoff performance ever in EuroLeague.
With Kyle Hines getting injured before the playoffs vs. Khimki Moscow, Hunter had to seriously step up for CSKA. And so he did. The American center entered the quarterfinals with 18 points plus eight rebounds in the Game 1 win and ended up averaging 13.3 points plus 7.8 boards to help his team prevail 3-1.
Othello Hunter’s credentials were already well known of course. He’s been one of the elite screen setters and divers in EuroLeague these past years, a deft finisher from short, or even mid-range, a skilled rebounding collector and a defender who can pester guards and make quick recoveries to his guy near the basket. And for the fifth year in a row, he’ll do all these for a title contender.
36. Stephane Lasme (Panathinaikos)
Year of birth: 1982
Position: Center
Height: 2.03
2017-2018 stats: 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks in 28:11 minutes per game with Unics Kazan in EuroCup.
The return of Stephane Lasme to Panathinaikos wasn’t greeted with much enthusiasm by fans of the team mainly due to his age. We’re talking of course about the same Stephane Lasme that comes off the most productive season of a very long career.
Lasme has always worked wonders when cooperating with guards who are pick n’ roll experts. He did so with Dimitris Diamantidis in his first stint with Panathinaikos, such was the case last season with Unics’ Quino Colom and things can look the same now with a guard such Nick Calathes. The latter is finding another “pick n’ roll buddy” to play with after James Gist and Lasme will receive his fair share of lobs to rock the rim.
It’s much more than dunks though for Lasme. The mid-range jumper which he has added to his quiver will come in handy for Xavi Pascual since shooting and spacing are of the essence in his strategies. Lasme can make this jump shot either after the pick n’ pop or even by creating the opportunity himself off the dribble.
While Lasme looks as airborne as ever, he hasn’t played in EuroLeague since 2015 when the competition had its previous format of much fewer games. Since he’s a player that still bases a significant part of his game on his athleticism, keeping up with the much more demanding pace and physicality of a 30-game regular season can be tricky. If it happens though, he can be a game-changer for the Greens.
35. Bryant Dunston (Anadolu Efes)
Year of birth: 1986
Position: Center
Height: 2.03 m.
2017-2018 stats: 10.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.7 blocks in 28 minutes per game with Anadolu Efes in EuroLeague.
The fact that Bryant Dunston is the second player (the other is captain Dogus Balbay) from the current roster of Efes who has been with the team in the two seasons speaks volumes. For the club too, yes, since Efes wants to re-arrange almost everything each summer, but also for the American center’s value.
Since his days with Olympiacos when he introduced himself to EuroLeague, Dunston has been one of the most powerful bigs in Europe, rolling to the basket like a tank after setting the pick for a loud finish, pummeling opponents to get a good look or grab the rebound and using a wide range of moves from the post (plus a jumper here and there) to lay the ball in.
Dunston already celebrated a title this season with Efes but the great goal for the Turkish team remains a distinction in EuroLeague. With Efes, the American center came very close to a Final Four return in 2017 but was eliminated by former team Olympiacos. If he shall bring his two-way dynamics (don’t forget that he’s a two-time EuroLeague DPOY) once more and if the heavily overhauled Efes becomes a cohesive unit, then the Final Four isn’t that far-fetched target.